The Poet
by Psychotic Female of Many Names
Summary: SasuSaku. AU, Slightly OOC. Sasuke has a secret that only a select few in the school know. Sakura has one as well, but she doesn't have any friends to tell it to. He's cold but faithful. She's shy yet spirited. And when these two collide...
1. Prologue

**The Poet**

_by Psychotic_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Prologue**_

The rain pounded against her window, which was opened just a crack, allowing the icy liquid to drip through, dampening the carpet below. She enjoyed the sound of the storm. Thunder crashed and lightning cut through the dark sky, lighting it up. The power in her home had gone out, causing candles to become a necessity. Her living room was lit with many of differing colors, shapes, and sizes. The flames grew and shrunk, making the light in the room flicker.

She sat on the floor against her couch, a candle beside her, with a notebook in her lap and a pencil in her right hand. She wore a pair of red, square, reading glasses. Underneath these spectacles, her bright green eyes were visible. An intense look filled them. Her hair was a beautiful pastel pink with tips just touching her shoulders, and she had long bangs, which framed her face. A red ribbon was tied as a headband, separating her bangs from the rest of her pink locks.

Her skin was pale and flawless, with an unusually large forehead. She had a slight rose tinge on her cheeks, being that the house was a little cold. Her fingers were long and slender and they flew across her paper. She wore a pair of red plaid fleece pajama pants that were slightly baggy and a white, skin tight tank top that showed some of the pale skin of her stomach. She also had on a pair of white fuzzy bunny slippers, which she was certain could become a catalyst for teasing – not that she didn't already get enough of that. No one ever visited her home, though, so it was certain to never become an issue.

She stopped writing and read over what she had just put down. She frowned, erased something, and rewrote it. Then she read it again. Satisfied, she set the notebook down on the table and the candle beside it. She stood up and yawned. Be it storming or not, she had to get some sleep for tomorrow's school day.

She blew out all the candles. Once she did so, she took a deep breath, and smiled. She loved the scent of candle smoke. Then she walked up the oak staircase and disappeared.

She had left her notebook on the table, as well as her pencil. It was still open to the page that she was just writing on. When the lightning split the sky in half, a poem was visible:

"_**Bring Sleep to Me**_

_Oh cool, black breeze,_

_Let my head rest_

_On soft clouds._

_Oh gleam in moon,_

_Smiling in the night,_

_Bring total silence_

_To my ears._

_Oh North Star,_

_Glit'ring solid in sky._

_Let blindness_

_Cloak my eyes._

_Oh starry night,_

_Bring sleep to me._

_-Haruno Sakura, 16, Thursday, October 12__th__."_

* * *

Across the deserted streets his limo flew, splashing water onto the already-soaked curbs. Lightning cut through the sky, leaving a shadow of its presence. Thunder rumbled, seeming to shake the entire world. And yet, the car sped on, trying to get to its destination before the weather got worse.

It finally slowed to a stop in front of an expensive townhouse. The door flew open and a teen boy stepped out. His hair was midnight black, even darker than the sky was presently. His onyx eyes immediately rested on the front door. Despite the downpour, he casually strode over, unlocking it and stepping inside.

He stopped in the front entryway, briefly shaking himself off. His hair was spiked slightly in the back and it glistened in the flickering light of the lightning. He had smooth, pale skin and his face was expressionless. His eyes, if you had the courage to look into them, seemed just as dull. He wore a pair of khakis, black Vans, and a black jacket.

His driver came in, carrying many suitcases. He set them down on the carpet with care, saying his goodbye, and departed. The boy walked up the staircase and into his living area. It was already furnished; he had moved all the furniture earlier in the week. Now, all he had were his clothes and personal belongings. He tried the light switch, but it failed. Obviously, the power was out. Shrugging, he picked up his suitcases with ease and went up the second stairs and into his room.

He hadn't noticed that on his coffee table sat a small note, addressed to "Uchiha Sasuke." Oh, well. It surely wasn't of any importance anyway.

* * *

**A/N: I've decided to rewrite this! The end result might not be any better than the first, but the plot and characters will change a bit. I've learned more about development and such in the last few years. (; This opening didn't change too much, and as I said before, **_**the poem included was not written by me**_**. I'm not certain where I found it, though.**

**The plot for this story was rather basic, though… and it didn't seem to have any guide to it whatsoever. I was just writing to write, I guess… Not that that's a bad thing. But I want this to have an actual plot with direction. So expect major changes to that. And some things probably won't be included, and new things will be.**

**Anyway, I hope the new version pleases everyone! Review and be happy!**

_Psychotic Female of Many Names_

_01.18.11_


	2. Chapter 1

**The Poet**

_by Psychotic_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

Sakura woke up to the loud trill of her alarm clock. She groaned and hit the "Sleep" button. Then she rolled over, entangling herself in her sheets, and closed her eyes again. Not even 5 minutes later – or so it seemed to her – the alarm went off again. She sat up, muttering, "Stupid school days…"

She turned off the alarm and walked over to her closet. The girl pulled out a simple red t-shirt and a pair of worn skinny jeans. The denim was covered in doodles and words that Sakura had drawn herself.

Setting the clothing on the bed, she went across the hall and into her bathroom. It didn't take her long to shower and dry her hair. A bit of makeup was applied before she pulled her hair into a ponytail and left the humid bathroom to get dressed.

Once Sakura was fully clothed, she slipped on a pair of black high-tops and grabbed her glasses, slipping them into her pocket – in the case, of course – and walked out of her bedroom. She proceeded to the kitchen, where she pulled out a bowl and the carton of milk and poured herself some cereal. This was usually her morning routine – get up, shower, get dressed, and eat cereal. It was fairly boring.

Once she finished, she set her bowl in the sink and picked up her backpack, hurrying out the door. She got into her beat-up old VW Beetle, setting her backpack on the seat next to her before pulling onto the street and driving to school.

* * *

Sasuke slowly got out of bed as his alarm went off. He glanced at the time. It read 7:37 A.M. Classes started at eight. _Well, shit,_he thought. _I'm going to be late for my first day. _The teen didn't bother to hurry, however; he wasn't one to rush, and if he was going to be late anyway, what did it matter?

One short shower later, he was lazily throwing on a shirt, pants, and a jacket. Luckily, they matched. It was a dark blue t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a black jacket. A slice of bread was placed into the toaster before he slipped on his shoes and backpack. Sasuke casually sauntered out the door, grabbing the toast on the way. He got into his black Mercedes Benz, bit into the toast, and sped off. It was now 8:03 A.M.

He parked his car in the school parking lot and stepped out, grabbing his backpack. As soon as he entered, he was pulled aside by a bouncing blonde idiot. "Where the hell were you?" he hissed. Sasuke just shrugged. The other boy groaned before leading the way to the office.

The blonde was Uzumaki Naruto. He was Sasuke's closest friend… not that the dark-haired boy ever said that to him. He was also part of the secret Sasuke was determined to keep.

When they entered the main office, a receptionist looked up. "May I help you?" she asked politely, a fake, lip-sticked smile in place.

"We're new here," Naruto piped up. "Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke."

Recognition dawned on her face and she nodded. "Yes, the transfers… Here are your schedules, and here's a map so you can find your way around. Your locker numbers, combinations, lunch codes, and computer log-in information are all on your schedules. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." That fake smile was back.

Naruto beamed in reply and took the papers before leaving. Sasuke followed leisurely.

"Okay, Sasuke-teme," the blonde said, "this is yours… I think." He looked a bit sheepish. "We have homeroom together! It's with someone named Hayashi Kotori in room E116."

Sasuke pulled out the map and started to walk in the direction of the classroom. "This way, dobe." Naruto protested the nickname, but trailed behind anyway.

* * *

Hayashi-sensei was a young teacher, probably not even in her thirties yet, with large, golden blonde ringlets and hazel eyes. She even dressed young – she was wearing dark blue jeans with a loose purple top. She seemed nice enough, however, grinning at the two as they entered and introducing herself before assigning them seats at the back of the room.

All eyes had gravitated to the pair as soon as they'd arrived. They were, after all, late, and unfamiliar. Konoha Academy for the Arts didn't often have new students, especially ones that transferred in during their senior year. The eyes stayed on them, however, because both were extremely attractive. It was obvious that they would have instant fans.

"Class, these are new students here!" Hayashi-sensei stated. "Uchiha Sasuke-san and Uzumaki Naruto-san. Please be nice and help them out if they ask."

As soon as the teacher sat down behind her desk, the students began chatting again. The person sitting in front of Sasuke turned around with a smile.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" she greeted. "I'm Yamanaka Ino. What brings you to KAA?" She had a long blonde ponytail and blue eyes.

"Education," he responded dully. He didn't like when girls fawned over him.

Ino giggled. "Well, I know that! I mean, why transfer here in your senior year? It seems silly to me."

Naruto grinned at the girl. "We came here for a change," he said. "We've been homeschooled all our lives."

"Wow, really?" Ino replied, eyes wide. "I can't imagine what that would be like! I wouldn't have any friends at all!"

A boy with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail cleared his throat to get the girl's attention. "Ino, leave them alone. It's obvious they don't want you bothering them."

Ino pouted at him. "I was just trying to get to know them, Shika-kun."

"No, you were trying to hit on them." This time it was a brunette female that spoke. Her hair was in two buns on each side of her head.

"Ten-chan!" Ino whined, crossing her arms with a huff.

The two began talking to Ino, sufficiently distracting her, and Naruto and Sasuke gave each other a look. Another fan girl. Great.

By the time homeroom ended ten minutes later, both boys had met almost everyone in the room. There was Nara Shikamaru, the one who had told Ino to leave them alone, Tenten, who had said Ino was hitting on them, and then Hyuuga Neji and his cousin Hyuuga Hinata, Sabaku no Gaara, and Rock Lee.

As they left the classroom, Ino asked, "So what branch are you two in? You know… prose, poetry, dance, music, art…?"

"I'm in dance," Naruto stated. "I break dance! Sasuke-teme here is in music."

"Oh? I'm in dance, too! So are Lee-kun, Shika-kun, and Hinata-chan."

"That's so cool!" the blonde boy exclaimed. "What kind of dance do you guys do?"

The conversation continued without Sasuke paying much attention. He was attempting to remember who everyone in his homeroom was.

One girl stood out, though. She was dressed in faded jeans with drawings on them and a red top, her pink hair in a loose ponytail, a pair of red glasses perched on her nose. She had sat quietly in the corner, writing in her notebook. Everyone in the room had been talking except for her. She'd just sat there alone, never once looking up.

When he asked Ino about her, the girl just grimaced and shrugged. "That's Haruno Sakura. She's in poetry, and she's _such _a nerd. She never talks to anyone and is always alone. I don't know what her problem is."

Sasuke wondered if it wasn't Ino who had the problem instead.

* * *

**A/N: So for those who missed it, I'm rewriting this story! The plot will change a lot, and the characters will too. I'm hoping it'll be better than the first draft. It seemed like it had no goal, like I was writing just to write. I have a direction planned for it this time!**

**Also, Hayashi Kotori is Tsuki Torino. I just changed her name. Sachi will still make an appearance, and I believe Itachi will play a rather big part… It should be fun! :D**

**Review and be happy!**

_Psychotic Female of Many Names_

_01.19.11_


	3. Chapter 2

**The Poet**

_by Psychotic_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

Their school day was filled with homeroom and six other periods. Sasuke's classes were rather simple: Calculus, Advanced Music Theory, Expert Guitar, History, Voice, and Lyrics and Poetry. The lyrics class was with Hayashi-sensei, and he was glad for that. At least he already knew one of his teachers.

Naruto had history with him, but the dobe wasn't smart enough to be in calculus, so they didn't have that together. Sasuke was thankful; Naruto tended to talk way too much. He did, however, have calculus with the pink-haired girl from his homeroom. He made a mental note to watch and see what she was like.

It was his last class of the day, and Sasuke sauntered into Hayashi-sensei's room. He instantly noticed that the pink-haired girl was there as well, sitting in the same place she'd been in during homeroom. Also, the only empty place left to sit was next to her.

The teen took his seat without glancing at her, keeping his eyes at the front of the room. On his other side, he recognized Hyuuga Neji. "Uchiha-san," the boy greeted politely.

"Hyuuga-san," Sasuke stated in reply.

"So this is Uchiha Sasuke, huh?" a new voice said from behind the two. The black-haired teen turned around to see a brunette male with a toothy grin and odd markings on his face. "Inuzuka Kiba. Nice to meet you. I saw you earlier in our music theory class, but Kakashi-sensei started the class before I could introduce myself."

The Kiba kid reminded Sasuke of Naruto. It was odd.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too." Sasuke then turned back around to face Hayashi-sensei.

Surprisingly, Hayashi-sensei ran a very difficult class. She didn't allow people to slack off, but she wasn't mean or rude about it. She still kept her happy demeanor; people just didn't seem to want to disrespect her. It made Sasuke admire her.

When the final bell rang, most of the students were out of their desks and rushing from the room. Sasuke had been working hard on the assignment and hadn't realized the time, so he was still packing up. He didn't notice Sakura going up to the sensei.

"Hayashi-sensei, my sister wanted me to check and make sure you were coming over today," the pink-haired teen told her. Her voice was soft but firm. It was obvious she was comfortable talking to the sensei.

"Sakura, I've told you that you can call me Kotori. I've tried to tell the class that, too, but they don't listen to me. And yes, I will be there. Are you going, too?" Hayashi-sensei began to type away on her computer.

The girl shook her head. "No, I'm not. I have homework, and Sachi can be a bit… overwhelming when I'm around her. It makes me feel…" She suddenly trailed off, noticing that Sasuke was still in the room. He had paused unconsciously, wanting to hear the girl speak. When he realized that he wasn't moving, he quickly picked up his things and left the room.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Hayashi Kotori!" a black-haired woman exclaimed as she threw open the door.

"And if it isn't Fujihara Sachi! Wow, never thought I'd run into you here!" The sarcasm in Kotori's voice was evident as she stepped inside the apartment. Sachi looked very much like Sakura; their body structure and facial features were the same, as were their eye color. However, the younger sibling had pink hair instead of Sachi's black.

The other peeked out the door as if expecting more people. "You're alone?" she asked in disappointment. "I thought Sakura-chan was coming with you…"

Kotori frowned a bit. "She said she has homework, and she wanted to give you and I some time to catch up." Luckily, Sachi didn't catch the lie.

"Oh, really? Okay… Well, I guess I'll have to catch her next time!"

They made their way into the room where the TV was on a music video channel. Currently there was an alternative song playing that was by some band called Meikyuu. Sachi must have noticed Kotori watching the video with confusion because she said, "Aren't they good? They've been around for awhile. I'm surprised you haven't heard of them yet. They're really mysterious; they always wear different masks and wigs. No one knows who they really are. I've tried to figure it out, but no one seems to know." She groaned in frustration.

"Maybe they don't want to be found out?" Kotori replied, raising her eyebrow. "It makes sense that they'd want to live a normal life outside of the fame."

Sachi nodded instantly. "Yeah, true. It just… bothers me. All anyone knows is that they're all males in their late teens. No hair colors, no eye colors, no names, nothing!"

Kotori sat down on the couch with a shrug. "Just leave it be, Sachi-chan. Let them have their privacy."

The other sighed. "Fine."

* * *

It was raining again. Sakura didn't mind it, though; she loved the rain. It just made it a bit of a hassle getting to and from places, and it tended to ruin good shoes. She sat in her living room again, staring out the window with a blank expression.

Then her eyes widened and she began to scrawl messily in her notebook. It didn't take her long to finish, and she pushed her hair from her eyes as she looked it over. Not her best work, but it could be tweaked to work.

_"As the clouds pour out the rain, I decide that the heavens_  
_must be crying._  
_I've lost you, and I don't know what to do. I can't express enough emotion_  
_to get anything across._  
_Sitting in front of the window, I wonder, "Did you tell the heavens to cry?_  
_Did you ask them to do it_  
_for me?" You know that I can't._  
_And so, as the clouds pour out the rain, the heavens_  
_must be crying."_

It was untitled so far, but she put at the top "The Heavens Must Be Crying" with a question mark after it. A potential name. Then she glanced back out her window only to meet a pair of dark eyes in the window next door.

The pinkette stared, fixated, for a few long moments. She recognized it as the new boy from her homeroom and lyrics class. What captivating eyes…

Finally she realized that she was still looking at him and blushed briefly, averting her eyes to her lap. When she raised her head once more, he was gone.

* * *

After his odd encounter with the pink-haired girl from school, Sasuke decided to retreat to his bedroom and mess around on his guitar. He randomly plucked out a melody and started humming along with it. Another half hour of this, and he had tentative lyrics to a chorus.

"_If you need anything  
Just say the word, I mean anything  
Rest assured, if you start to doze,  
Then I'll tuck you in,  
Plant my lips where you necklace is closed."_

The teen probably should have gone to bed then, as it was now nearly midnight, but he ignored any sign of weariness and kept strumming and singing.

For some reason, he was determined to get this song down. He had no idea why, but it was bothering him immensely. He couldn't just leave it unfinished.

By the time it was done, the clock read 6:14 A.M. Sasuke groaned. No point in sleeping now, so he just showered, got dressed in his usual dark attire, and packed up his guitar. It was already decided that he would be bringing it with him that morning.

"Sasuke-teme!" a loud-mouthed blonde shouted as he entered through the main doors. He just gave the annoyance a malicious glare that spoke of terrible things and it was silent.

Naruto blinked and leaned over to Shikamaru and Ino, who were standing next to him. "I don't think Sasuke-teme got much sleep last night."

Hayashi-sensei's room was empty when he arrived except for that Sakura girl, the kid he'd met yesterday called Gaara, and a boy sitting behind Sakura with a large collar and sunglasses.

Sasuke didn't pay any of them any mind as he trudged over to his seat and slumped into it, his head already laying on his arms in fatigue. He wished he could have gotten more sleep, but he was glad that the song was out of his system.

"You look exhausted."

The black-haired teen raised his head to give another one of his evil glares to whoever had dared to speak to him, but was surprised to see that the pinkette had moved and was sitting next to him, watching him with careful eyes.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked softly.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, not that. Just… didn't sleep."

"Ah." She nodded. It was silent for a long moment before she decided to speak; it was obvious he wasn't going to be the one to start anything. "Why didn't you sleep…?"

He sighed. He was not going to be getting any sleep in during homeroom. "Writing a song."

"Oh." Silence yet again overtook them. Then, "I'm Haruno Sakura, by the way."

"Hn."

Sakura waited. He didn't say anything more. So she prodded, "You are…?"

"Uchiha Sasuke. You should know that already. Hayashi-sensei introduced us yesterday."

A shy blush instantly flooded the girl's cheeks. "Oh, yeah… Well, it's polite to introduce yourself to people one-on-one, you know…?" She was obviously fishing for an excuse to her stupid question.

"Hn."

And more silence. In the time they had managed to exchange so few words, the other students had filed in and the bell had rung. Many were confused as to why the nerd Sakura was sitting next to the hot new boy, but they didn't say anything straight out. They instead decided to just sit in their little cliques and gossip about it.

The entire school would probably have some ridiculous rumor circulating by lunch time.

"Well… nice to meet you, Sasuke-san." Sakura stood up to go back to her secluded corner.

Sasuke sat up. "Wait." He wasn't exactly certain why he stopped her. "Uh… no, it's fine. You can stay here."

She blinked at him and nodded slowly. "Okay."

After a moment, he asked, "Why are you always alone?"

The girl flushed and looked down at her lap, clutching a pencil in her hand. She already had dark pencil lead smudges all over her hands. "I just… don't have any friends, I guess. It's always been that way. I'm kind of shy, and people never tried to talk to me, either…" Normally, she didn't make the first move and introduce herself. She had been compelled to talk to Sasuke, however, and she still hadn't figured out why.

"Ah." A beat. "Well… you're talking to me now. That's something, isn't it?"

Sakura couldn't help but give him a small, tentative smile. "Yeah, I suppose it is. I don't know why, but I wanted to talk to you. And uh… sorry about staring yesterday." She blushed deeply.

Sasuke just shrugged and rested his head on his hand. He'd been staring right back, so an apology wasn't really necessary.

Then the bell rang, dismissing homeroom, and Sakura was up and out of the room before he could say anything else.

* * *

**A/N: I'm proud of this chapter! I know there were quite a few POV switches, but it's all relevant to the story, I promise! The poem of Sakura's is one I wrote, and the chorus from the song of Sasuke's is from a song called "Lullaby" by The Spill Canvas.**

**I don't have time to say much because it's time for me to shower and go to bed, and I want to post this first. So…**

**Review and be happy! :D**

_Psychotic Female of Many Names_

_01.24.11_


	4. Chapter 3

**The Poet**

_by Psychotic_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_

When Sasuke arrived in Calculus, he sat in the seat he had the day before, none-too-gently dropping his books on the desk as he did. Despite his encounter in homeroom, he wasn't extremely optimistic about this day. Not that he was really optimistic about _anything_, but still. It couldn't be a good day when he'd had no sleep.

Then, to his surprise, Sakura took the seat next to him. She gave him a small, shy wave, sitting down quietly. The bell rang almost as soon as she'd done this, and the two didn't speak at all throughout the class as they listened to Gai-sensei ramble on about integrals.

For some reason, the pinkette wouldn't leave his mind for the rest of the day. He couldn't understand why. At lunch, he ignored Naruto's senseless chatter – not that there was anything different about that – and kept his eyes discreetly scanning the cafeteria. Sakura wasn't anywhere in the room.

A flash of pink passed by his peripheral and he glanced to the doors to see the girl walking by with the boy with sunglasses and huge collar who had sat behind her in homeroom. She was talking animatedly with him, using her hands to illustrate her words. She didn't seem at all shy when she spoke with that kid. So what made everyone else so different?

"Sasuke-teme! Yo, teme!"

The black-haired teen glared at his so-called best friend. "What, dobe?"

"Weren't you listening at all?" Naruto asked in annoyance. "I was telling you about our contemporary dance class! It was so cool; we had this whole contest going, like who's style was best, you know? And we were in a circle, and people were just jumping in and dancing…"

Sasuke began to tune him out. He honestly didn't care anymore. He didn't mind dancing, but only if it was for show while he was doing a gig or something. Naruto might like all that stuff, but Sasuke just didn't.

Thankfully, lunch ended rather quickly, and it was his last period before he knew it. Well, the day hadn't been as horrible as he'd expected it to be.

That was until Hayashi-sensei decided to assign them a partner project. She also assigned the partners.

Sasuke hated partner things.

He wasn't paying any attention when the teacher called out their partners; he figured the other person would be listening and would come to him. Instead, he absently rolled his pencil on his desk until Hayashi-sensei passed out the sheet with the project details on it.

An assignment to write a song and then present it? Easy.

A chair was pulled up beside him and he glanced at the person. Haruno Sakura. Of course.

"Hi," she greeted softly. "So we're paired together for the assignment, huh?"

He just nodded, reading over the things that they were required to include. It had to be at least two verses, a repeating chorus, and both partners had to contribute when presenting it. It also had to be original; no copying of melodies was allowed. Well, Sasuke could sing and play guitar… What could Sakura do?

As if she was able to tell what he was thinking, the pinkette stated, "I know how to play the piano and I can sing a bit… but I'd prefer not to sing in front of the whole class." She flushed lightly and looked down at her lap.

The boy was about to reply when Hayashi-sensei announced, "You have exactly four weeks to complete this assignment! We'll have today, tomorrow, and the next day to work on this in class, as well as a couple days right before we present, but everything else must be done on your own time. Good luck!"

Many of the students groaned. It would be difficult for quite a few of them.

Sasuke nodded at Sakura. "We can write the song and I'll play guitar, you can play the piano, and I'll sing the main parts. If you want, you can sing a bit of harmony, too. It doesn't matter either way."

Sakura agreed with a smile. "Alright. When and where do you want to meet up to work on this?"

"This weekend." It wasn't a question; Sasuke didn't often request things.

"Okay. My place?"

"Aa."

They spent the rest of the period deciding what they were going to write about and coming up with a basic melody for the song. By the time the bell rang, they had a tune for the chorus and a few phrases to work around for the lyrics. They were much farther along than other groups.

Just as Sasuke was leaving the classroom, he heard Hayashi-sensei say to his partner, "So… Sachi wanted me to tell you that she's dragging me over to your place tonight whether you want her to or not."

Just the mention of the same Sachi person from the day before had Sasuke curious.

* * *

It took him awhile to realize that Sasuke being curious was not something normal. Sasuke didn't get curious about anything.

This Sakura girl was ruining everything he thought was normal.

As he passed his living room window, he caught movement in the corner of his eye. A tall woman with black hair pulled back in a low ponytail was chatting happily with Sakura as they sat down in front of the television. The pinkette appeared slightly bored and annoyed at the other's presence, but hid it rather well.

So was that Sachi? As soon as he spotted Hayashi-sensei taking a seat in the armchair, he knew it was. Just from looking at the black-haired woman, he could tell that she was Sakura's sister. They had the same eye color and facial structure. However, this Sachi was much taller and lengthier than her sister was; she probably could have been a successful model.

Sasuke diverted his eyes and sat down on his own couch, turning on the TV. He had no business peeking in on Sakura's time with her sister and her sister's friend. However, as soon as the screen in front of him turned on, he grimaced. Some talk show was doing a report on the band Meikyuu.

"Mysterious teenage boys in masks! What could be more exciting?" one of the women was saying.

Another one giggled. "Hana, hush. That's like robbing the cradle. Anyway, there are still no clues as to who these secretive teens are. No one has been able to find anything out. And now it seems like the band has gone completely off the radar! Are they taking a break from the fame? Or are there more serious complications? We'll find out after the break!"

The black-haired male rolled his eyes as a music video by Meikyuu started. Idiotic reporters and their assumptions. The band was made up of four males: the lead singer and guitarist, the bassist and back-up vocals, the drummer, and the back-up guitarist. Sometimes, the back-up guitarist played the piano. Sometimes, the bassist sang the lead vocals. Sometimes, just to confuse people, they all switched places and played each other's instruments. Currently, the band was playing on a deserted freeway and the lead was singing into the microphone.

The video switched to a clip of the bassist break dancing smoothly, and Sasuke snorted before turning off the television. He hated watching those music videos.

* * *

It was nearing midnight when the doorbell rang.

Sasuke growled and took his time getting to the door, unlocking it and throwing it open.

"Otouto," the man greeted simply, stepping inside without waiting for permission. Sasuke blinked in surprise before glaring heatedly.

"Itachi, what the hell are you doing here?"

The man raised a dark eyebrow at his younger brother. His hair was longer and flatter than Sasuke's, and he wore it tied back at the base of his neck. "Am I not allowed to visit my favorite little brother?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm your only little brother. And not when it's almost midnight."

"Is it really that late? I hadn't noticed."

The teen knew that his older brother was lying, but decided to ignore it. He was exhausted and needed to sleep. He had meant to pass out at nine, but the dobe had called and decided to discuss trivial things with him. Sasuke had wanted to hang up, but he knew that if he didn't at least stay on the phone, Naruto would march over to his house and annoy him with his presence as well as his loud voice.

"Aniki, just tell me what you're doing here."

Itachi toed off his shoes and draped his coat over a chair before sitting down as if he owned the place. "I've been sent to watch over you by otou-san. There's been rumors going around that the press are getting a little too determined and I'm supposed to keep an eye on you and keep you safe."

Sasuke let out a low growl. "I hate it when otou-san does this," he muttered angrily. "Fine. There's a second bedroom over there." He pointed vaguely. "You can find your way yourself. I'm going to bed."

"Sweet dreams, otouto!"

The teen just glared again before stomping up the stairs.

* * *

Two days with only five hours of sleep was not good for Sasuke. The appearance of his brother was not helping anything. While Itachi was there, he had decided to get a job somewhere that he could watch over his little brother easily.

He was soon hired as the school resource officer.

There were times when Sasuke hated that his brother was a cop. This was one of those times.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly in homeroom. "Did you see? Itachi-niichan's here!"

The teen growled at his "best friend." "Yes, dobe, I saw. He rang my doorbell at midnight last night before announcing that he was staying with me from now on."

Naruto laughed obnoxiously. "That's great! I'm congratulating him on that as soon as I see him next."

Sasuke ignored the blonde and rested his head in his hands, eyes closed. He had been right about the day before being a bad day.

He didn't have any hopes for that day, either. Or the next one. Or the next. Or the next three months, as a matter of fact.

Stupid Itachi.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, it's a bit late. I'm sorry! D: Sometimes, school gets in the way. I had to finish up a lot of stuff before I could even begin to write this. And this is a big shorter than the last chapter because of the fact that I didn't have much time. I need to sleep now, though. Desperately.

I promise that I will make the next chapter longer! Also, I hope you like Itachi. I sure do! ;D

_Psychotic Female of Many Names_

_02.07.11_


	5. Chapter 4

**The Poet**

_by Psychotic_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Chapter Four**_

The rest of the school week passed by quickly. Sakura and Sasuke worked diligently on their project, deciding that they wanted to actually make it a good, serious song, not some cheap rap song like many of the other students were planning on doing.

Before Sakura knew it, it was Saturday afternoon, the day her partner was coming over to work on their project. Over the last few days, they had revised the chorus over and over again, unable to make a concrete decision.

That day, Sakura was just wearing a pair of grey yoga pants and a white tank-top, her feet bare. She was sitting at the piano in the corner, slowly playing out the melody they'd come up with in class. It was obviously unfinished, and not even long enough for a complete chorus. They had a long way to go.

A knock sounded and the pinkette stood, hurrying to answer the door. Sasuke stood there, dressed in a dark blue button-up shirt and black jeans. He stepped in when she greeted him, slipping off his shoes and trailing behind her to the living room.

"So… we still have to write all the lyrics, and we barely have anything for the music." Sakura took out the notes they'd taken during class. "I like these lyrics here… the ones about the guy looking for a lost love."

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah. Sakura… I have something to tell you first."

"Hm?"

There was a pause for just a moment. "I won't be able to sing the song in front of the class with you."

The girl's eyes widened and she began to panic. "What? Why not? You… you said you would sing it! I can't… I can't sing in front of the whole class!"

"Sakura. Calm down. I hurt my throat and the doctor says I can't sing for a few weeks, at least five or six. He says it's best to rest it completely. You'll do fine. And it's not like I won't be up there with you; I just won't be singing."

The pinkette took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. He was right. She wouldn't be alone. Besides, singing wouldn't be that bad, right…? And there was no need to worry about it now; the project wasn't even due for another three weeks.

"O-… Okay," she muttered. "Then… I guess we should write lyrics that would be from a girl's point of view or from anyone's."

Sasuke agreed and they got to work on lyrics, picking a few lines from their brainstorming about heartbreak and conflicting emotions before he grabbed his guitar and she sat down at the piano to think up notes for the song.

Sakura had failed to notice that Sasuke's throat didn't seem injured at all; he was speaking fine, and he hadn't even asked for water or taken anything while he'd been there yet. Because of this, she never asked herself why he could speak normally but not sing. She never realized something was off about his excuse.

* * *

As the day wore on, the two became more and more engrossed in their work. They were enjoying themselves with this project. It had turned out to be easy to come up with the music once they had the chorus down, then they just had to fit lyrics around the notes.

Sakura was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, legs splayed out beneath it, writing thoughtfully in her notebook. Sasuke was on the couch across from her, strumming the melody they'd worked out on his guitar. The girl quickly moved to the piano, however, to plunk out her part of the song before writing something else down in the notebook.

"How does this sound, Sasuke?" she asked. "_Pitter-pat, the angel on my shoulder is haunting me tonight. Tick tock, the clock is getting louder, ready for me to decide._" She had sung the lines out softly.

"Good," the dark boy stated. He was about to continue with something else, but was interrupted by the door slamming open.

"Sakura-chan!" a loud voice called. "Sakura-chaaaaan!" The person the voice belonged to appeared in the room; it was Sachi.

The sister paused when she spotted Sasuke, looking slightly confused. "Sakura-chan, who's this? I thought Shino was your only friend, and he never comes over."

The pinkette seemed slightly exasperated. "Sachi, this is Uchiha Sasuke. He's my partner for a class project with Hayashi-sensei. We were working before you barged in."

"Oh!" Sachi didn't make any move to leave; instead, she went and sat in the armchair. "Hello, Sasuke-san! I'm Fujihara Sachi, Sakura-chan's big sister! It's nice to meet you."

"Aa."

At his response, the dark-haired women frowned. "What kind of answer is that? Jeez, he seems just like this guy Tori-chan keeps talking to me about… Some guy whose name starts with an I…"

"Hayashi-sensei is seeing someone?" Sakura asked, surprised. She was clearly sufficiently distracted from the project.

Sachi shrugged. "Not really seeing… She's only been out with him twice, but they did only meet a few days ago. Nothing's official, and she says they're just friends, but it's obvious she wants to be more. If I remember right, he works at your school with her. Some… officer of some sort."

Sasuke twitched. "Is his name Itachi, by chance?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Sachi exclaimed happily. "Why, do you know him?"

The boy was gritting his teeth, forcing his next words through them. "Yes. He's my older brother."

Both females were silent for a few long moments. When someone finally spoke, it was Sachi. "Well… that's certainly a bit awkward."

Sakura gave her sister a look that said "no, really?" before rolling her eyes.

* * *

Once Sasuke had left, which wasn't long after her loud sister arrived, Sachi tugged the younger one to the couch and sat her down in a giddy manner.

"So guess why I came here!"

"Why?"

Sachi rolled her eyes. "I said _guess._"

"I don't know," Sakura stated in exasperation. "You found some old glass bottle that had a treasure map in it that led to lots of old pirate gold?"

"No, baka," Sachi said. "My manager was able to get that new mysterious boy band to open for me!"

Sakura blinked. "What boy band?"

"You know… um… Meikyuu! The band that wear those masks!"

"Seriously?"

Sachi nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! My concert that's coming up in about a month is when they'll be opening. I'm hoping I can figure a little something out about them, maybe see them without their disguises." She gave her sibling a wink.

"Sachi, please. Maybe they want to privacy. They probably like not having paparazzi on them all the time. I know you like it that way."

The elder sister pouted. "That's true… Fine. Why do you always make such good points, Sakura-chan?"

"Because, for some reason, I'm more mentally mature than you are."

Sachi stuck out her tongue. "That was mean! But because I'm a good big sister, I'm still going to invite you to the concert. You can even hang out backstage and stuff."

Sakura looked apprehensive. "I don't know, Sachi… I don't want anyone to recognize me."

"Then wear a disguise like those guys do."

It was a good suggestion, Sakura had to admit. "… I'll think about it."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so sorry, guys! D: Life has taken over a bit and I wasn't able to update as quickly as I thought I would be able to. I also know that I said this chapter would be longer than the last, but I didn't have time to write any more and I wanted to put something out here for you! Tomorrow is my senior prom (AH!) and the day after I'm certain I'll be exhausted. Also, the year is ending for me, so I have quite a bit to do. I'll do my best to update, though. (:

Again, I'm so sorry, guys!

Review and be happy!

_Psychotic Female of Many Names_

_04.15.11_


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